Despite a long break since his win in the last race at Zandvoort, Maritn Tomcyk was on top form at the Nurbugring and cruised to a second win.

Bruno Spengler kept himself in the title hunt with a useful second on a day when Audi appeared to have the upper hand.

Tomcyk didn’t get the best of starts but team mate Timo Scheider alongside him made sure he kept the lead at the first corner.

Further back Markus Winkelhock didn’t even make it past the start line as Mike Rockenfeller tipped him into the barriers. It was a disappointingly brief race for Winkelhock at the circuit where he led on his Formula 1 d?âãÆ?é?®but.

That brought out the safety car for a couple of laps and as the drivers prepared to re-start it was clear that third-placed Tom Kristensen was under orders to delay the Mercedes behind him. He held Bruno Spengler and Bernd Schneider back but the stewards later investigated the Dane for the delay.

Spengler got stuck into Kristensen and made a crucial pass on lap seven to take what was now second place at Scheider had been one of the first to pit.

But he was never able to reduce Tomcyk’s lead and his efforts were stymied further by losing time at his first pit stop.

Paul di Resta and Jamie Green put on a show passing Bernd Schneider as the German was baulked by Rockenfeller. Once the two Britons had passed Schneider, Green also got ahead of di Resta.

Mattias Ekstrom made a late final stop and was able to finish third to limit the damage Tomcyk did to his championship lead.

Scheider came home fourth ahead of Green and di Resta. There are now only two races left – at the Circuit de Catalunya and the Hockenheimring.